Ralf Little has revealed he would like to play a villainous character after years spent playing nice guys across various comedic and dramatic projects.

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Currently, the Royle Family alum can be seen in crime drama Death in Paradise, where he plays British detective Neville Parker as he investigates cases on the idyllic island of Saint Marie.

In the most recent season, it seemed as if Neville would be written out in a similar manner to past leads Richard Poole (Ben Miller) and Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall), but a last-minute change of heart kept him in place.

Nevertheless, Little reflected on his future career hopes in an exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com, where he revealed a desire to play "a real nasty piece of work".

"I’ve mostly made a career out of playing quite likeable characters and I've loved it," he began. "The characters I’m mostly known for are likeable, decent, lovable characters. But people are complex and I’d really love to do something very different."

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Little referenced the character of Sophie Chambers, played by Death in Paradise cast member Chelsea Edge, who was introduced as a sympathetic protagonist but later showed her true colours.

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He added: "That was such a lovely part for Chelsea to play because she got to be both lovable and likeable, and then absolutely terrifying and horrible. I’d love to play a real nasty piece of work. That would be real fun, a real challenge."

Earlier this month, after the latest finale, Death in Paradise was renewed for two more seasons, which will keep the series on the air until at least 2025.

Death in Paradise is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

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